Nickel hydroxide with amorphous structure has been synthesized successfully by chemical precipitation method combined with rapid quench technique. The microstructure and morphology of the prepared samples were analyzed by XRD, Raman spectra, IR spectra, and SEM. The electrochemical performance of the sample was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and charge/discharge tests. The discharge capacity of the amorphous nickel hydroxide is 330.0 mAh g(-1) at 0.2C, much higher than that of the theoretical capacity of beta-nickel hydroxide (289.0 mAh g(-1)). Moreover, the amorphous nickel hydroxide exhibits higher electrochemical reaction reversibility, lower electrochemical impedance, and better cyclic stability compared with beta-nickel hydroxide. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.